Multiple-action vacuum feed device.



MULTIPLE ACTION VACUUM FEED DEVICE.

APPLICATIOH FILED APR. 9. I918,

nirnn snares earner tl ld ll llijl o WEBB JAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MULTIPLE-ACTIGN VACUUM FEED DEVICE,

13 season.

Specification of Letters Patent, I

latented Feb, iii, 1219.

Application filed April 8, 1918. Serial No. 221363.

The purpose of this.invention is to pro-'- vide a liquid pumpingsystemof the vacuum feed type in wluch a plurality of vacuum suction may bemore nection,

feed chambers are arranged to operate simultaneously from a commonsource of suction and upon a common supply or" liquid, alternating oroverlapping as to their respective filling and discharging periods, sothat the fully utilized than when only a single vacuum chamber isoperated. The invention involves the various features of constructionand certain relations of parts hereinafter described and shown in thedrawings as indicated by claims.

In the drawings the invention is presented in a single side elevation,in which, however, the parts are principally shown in vertical section,the apparatus chosen for purposes of illustration comprising only twovacuum chambers associated together, although the invention contemplatesany of chambers so associated.

The outer chamber, 1, is the usual auxiliary chamber of a vacuum feed.device, ex cept that it is especially designed to contain a plurality ofvacuum chambers, 2, each shown as provided with a suction pipe, 3, andair vent pipe, 4, controlled respectively by valves, 5 and 6, each setof valves being operated by an individual float, 7, in the chamber, 2,connected to the valves by a familiar-system oi levers. it may beunderstood that the suotion'pipe, 3, may lead from a common source ofsuction and may be suitably joined into a single conduit in the vicinityoi the auxiliary chamber, 1, such can however, being of'an obvious nature, not shown in the drawings. The liquid supply is indicated,however,as provided with a single pipe, 8, terminating in a Tfitting from whichbranch pipes, 9, lead to check valve fittings, 10, each mounted in theupper portion of one of the vacuum chambers, 2.

In accordance with the well understood the desired number in some lituid throi' principle of a vacuum feedsystennit will be evident that withthe valve, 6, closed, and the valve, 5, open, the suction acting throughpipe, 3, will exhaust the air in the chamber, 2, causing an inflow ofliquid from pipe, 8, past the inwardly opening by reason of the factthat the main supply tank from which the pipe, 8, leads, is under.

atmospheric pressure, which is sufliciently greater than the reducedpressure in the check valve, 10,

chamber, 2, to cause the liquid to fiow'up from the lower supplyreceptacle through the pipe, 8, and to discharge into the cham her, 2,as indicated. As the chamber, 2, becomes filled, the float, 7, rising toits upper limit moves the levers from the position shown in the righthand chamber, 2, to the position of the levers shown in the left handchamber in the drawings, whereby'the suction valve, 5, is closed and theatmospheric air valve, 6, is opened. The inrush of air rapidlydissipating the partial vacuum in the chamber, 2, and equalizing theinterior pressure with that within the outer chamber or receptacle, 1,which is constantly open to atmosphere, permits discharge of the liquidcontents of the chamber, 2, through the check valve, 11 or 12, as thecase may be, according to which of the chambers, 2, is being considered.Where only a single vacuum chamber, 2, is employed, the time requiredfor this equalization of pressure within the chamber, 2, and dischargeofits contents into. the chamber, 1, constitutes an idle period duringwhich the suction is not utilized for lifting any liquid from the mainsupply tank through pipe, 8; but it will be evident that by using two ormore vacuum chambers, 2, their operation may be made to alternate such away that the l at all times forhft suction will be ll blL a pipe, 8,resulting in a more efficient use of the suctionavailable and, in thecase of an internal combustion engine, resulting in more uniform efiecton the engine suction and action or. the

carbureter.

lit will be evident that if the filling and discharging periods of thetwo or more vacuum chambers are to be alternated with respect to eachother, an. open connection be tween the chambers through branch pipe, 9,without the use of the check valves, 10*, would tend to defeat theoperation because the suction acting on one chamber would actsimultaneously on each and every other by gravity ing the valve, Whatsmaller the latter.

ifcating 'unison of operation one of the vacuum chambers, in many casesdefeating the discharge of the contents even after such other chambershad become filled, and had. opened their air vent valves, 6, and atleast operation. For this 10, are provided and they permit each of thechambers, 2, to operate independently of the other. Since the durationof the period of filling and the period of discharge is affected byseveral factors including the exact size and buoyancy of the float, theexact tension of the spring, the particular size of the valve ports andeven the weight of the valves themselves, it seldom happens that any twovacuum chambers will have exactly the same period of operation evenunder similar conditions, so that by merely assemblino' two or more,such units at random, it will be found that-they will not usuallyoperate in unison, but will tend to get out of timedrel-ation to eachother and will overlap each other as to their periods of filling anddischarge. To render this result altogether certain, however, it is onlynecessary to make the discharge valves, 11 and 12, of slightly diflerentcapacities, so. that one chamber will always discharge more rapidly thanthe other. In the draw- 11, is shown as being ofsomesize than the valve,12, and it will therefore discharge more other expedient may be employedfor deof the two or more vacuum chambers.

The liquid being accumulated in the common auxiliary receptacle, 1, willfiow therefrom by gravity through the discharge ,pipe, 13, since thechamber, 1, is constantly open lac-atmospheric pressure through ducts,14c,

greatly hindering the proper reason the check valves,

slowly than It will be understood that any chambers to avoid, unison ofleading into the cap plate for communication with the air vents, 4.

I claim;

15111 a liquid feeding system comprising a source of suction, .aplurality of chambers each communicating therewith and having also anatmospheric vent, together with liquid-controlled means in each chamberforalternating the dominance of atmos= pheric pressure and suctiontherein, whereby said system is adapted to fill said chambers by drawingliquid from a receptacle at a lower level than said chambers and todischarge it from each chamber during the period of atmosphericdominance therein, a common source'of li uid supply and condui-tstherefrom to, al said chambers, together with means for preventingintercommunication of said chambers through such conduits.

2. In the combination set forth in claim 1 the means for preventingintercommunication of the chambers comprising automatic check valvescontrolling the portions of said conduits associated. with the resame. I

3. In the combination set out in claim 1, the respective chambers withtheir asso- -ciated parts involving differences of detail to preventperiodic unison in their operation; 4

4:. In the combination set out in claim 1', means for insuringdifferences in the dis; charge or filling periods 01" the respectiveoperation,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, lllinois,this 3rd day of April, 1918.

"WE JAY.

